Locking device



R. BIENAIME LOCKING DEVICE Filed Dec.

July 21, 1931.

27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. BIENAIM LOCKING DEVICE Filed Dec.

Juny 21, 19131.

27, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lill UNITED STATES` Lamai PTET FFICE ROBERT BIENAIM,

LOCKING Application :tiled December 27, 1929, Serial No.

The present invention relates to locking devices and, more especially, to those of the type adapted for use on automobile hoods and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is toprovide a device in which the locking and releasing movements take place in the same direction as the movement of the hood.

Another object is to provide an assembly which functions to lock and release the hood independently of play and deformations produced in the latter by wear and use.

A further object is to provide a device in which the strains during locking and release take place in directions substantially parallel to the plane of the hood (lateral portion) whereby deformation of the latter is avoided.

Still further objects willappear in the course of the detailed description now to be given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figs. l to 4 are sections showing one illustrative embodiment of the invention at various phases of the locking and releasing operations.

Referring to the various figures of the drawings, there is shown the lateral portion of an automobile hood a having a slot a0 formed therein,-a shell b rigidly attached to a and including a horizontal portion 221 and a vertical portion Z22 provided with end and lateral slots b", i, z' and y', j,-a latch c mounted inside shell ZJ and provided with a nose c having a curved cam portion 01,* a. pin c engaging pivotally at el with latch c and carrying a spring CZ abutting at opposite extremities against a stop e2 and element 61,-a lever g traversing slot a0 and provided with a pin f rigidly attached thereto, said pin engaging pivot-ally with latch c, lever g being of sufficient length to engage in slot bo during certain phases of its operation,- a spring 7L tending to move the distal end of lever g upward,-and a fixed assembly mounted on a frame m and a rotatable roller lc mounted on a transverse rod ko rigidly supported on lateral supports Z, Z.

The various operating elements should be designed so that point e1 is somewhat out of OF PARIS, FRANCE DEVICE 416,774,Aand in Belgium September 14, 1929.

vertical alignment with roller L when the device is in closed position. Similarly in this same position, pin f should be somewhat out of vertical alignment both with point e? and the point where latch c engages with roller 7c (Fig. 3). l/Vith a structure so designed proper turning couples may be exerted to effect the various opening and closing movements and latch c once engaged tends to maintain hood a iirmly in position.

The device operates as follows:

Assuming that the hood is being lowered from its raised position, curved surface c1 of nose co first contacts with roller 7c (Fig. l) then, as pressure is exerted on hand-lever g, rides over the latter (Fig. 2) until nose 0 engages under roller 7c; spring (Z then functions to draw nose 0 snugly into place (Fig. 3) and, when lever g is released, the hood is in closed position and tends to remain so F under the action of spring d. During the downward movement of lever g, pin f, which follows the movement of latc'hc, slides vertically downward in lateral guide slots j, j formed in shell Y), while the distal end of the lever, under the action of spring h, bears against the upper extremity of slot o. Lateral slots e', 7l in shell merely serve to provide clearance and as guides for the movement of shell over roller 7c. mien an opening movement is to be eected, lever g is moved upward thereby engaging with shoulder c2 so as to rotatelatch c about point c1 (Fig, 4) until nose co rolls out from under c roller 7c to release the hood, the distal end of lever g moving downward out of contact with slot 6.

It is to be noted that pin f and the various .operating elements such as latch c cooperating therewith move in more or less parallel relation to the hood wall and that the tension exerted by spring Z is exerted in substantially the same direction, thereby reducing deformation and strain on the hood to a minimum. Moreover, when, after a certain amount of use, the hood becomes loose, the operation of the locking device is not affected thereby since spring d always exerts an upward pull and thus renders the locking structure independent of any play developing at points thereabove in or on the hood.

Finally, as noted in describing the operation of the apparatus, lever' g moves in the same direction as the hood i. e. downward for a closing, and upward, for a releasing, operation.

What I claim is l. In combination, a lixed trarne, a movable closure element, a rod mounted on said iixed frame at a iiXed distance therefrom, a shell rigidly attached to said movable closure element, a pin traversing said shell, a spring tending to move said pin outwardly relatively to said shell, a latch oscillatably suspended from said pin, and adapted to engage with said rod, and a. lever engaging with said latch and having a portion thereof termed to bear against said shell.

2. In combination, a fixed frame, a movable closure element, a rod mounted on said lined frame at a fixed distance therefrom, a shell rigidly attached to said movable closure element, a pin traversing said shell, a spring tending to move said pin outwardly relatively to said shell, a latch oscillatably suspended from said pin and formed to loc tably engage with said rod, said latch having a shoulder formed thereon', and a lever engagi'ngv with said latch and having a portionthereof adapted to bear against said shell, said lever when moved away from the fixed frame engaging with said shoulder of the latch so as to oscillate the latch' about its point of suspension from the pin as a center and when moved towards the fixed :trarne exerting a pull on said latch tending to move the latter into locking engagement with the rod against the action of said spring.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2 in combination with a spring opposing movement of the lever towards the lixed frame.

4. In combination, a fixed frame, a movable closure element, a rod supported at a lined distance from said fixed frame, a shell rigidly attached to said movable closure element and having a guiding slot formed therein, a pin traversing said shell, a spring tending to move said pin outwardly with relation to said shell, a latch pivotally suspended from said pin and having a hooked portion formed thereon adapted to engage with said rod, saidA hooked portion having an exterior surface formed to facilitate sliding movement thereofover said rod, said latch having` a shoulder' formed thereon, an oscillatable lever capable of engaging with said shoulder to oscillate said latch, a spring tending to move said lever away from thev fined frame, and a pin traversing said lever and latch at a vpoint lying, outside of a plane parallel to the movable closure element and passing through the point of suspension of the latch, said last-named pin engaging in said guiding slot.

5. In combination, a fixed frame, a movable closure element, a rod supported on said iXed frame at a substantially constant distance from the latter, a shell rigidly attached to said movable closure element and having wardly with relation to said shell, a latch pivotally suspended from said pin and having a hooked portion formed thereon adapted to engage with said rod, said hooked portion having an exterior surface formed to facilitate sliding movement thereof over said rod, said latch having a shoulder formed thereon, an oscillatable lever capable of being displaced to contact with said shoulder so as to oscillate the latch, a spring tending to move said lever away from the fixed frame,- and` a pin traversing said lever and latch at a point lying, when the latch and rod arel in eiirg'agement, outside of a plane parallel to the movable closure element and passing through the point of suspension of the latch, said last named pinl engaging in said guiding slot.

In' testimony whereof I alli-X my signature.

ROBERT BIENAIM.

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